By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media
On Saturday, California elections officials announced 41 candidates have filed the required paperwork to appear on the ballot Sept. 14 in the election to recall and replace current California Gov. Gavin Newsom. 21 of them are running as Republicans.
But Larry Elder, the most prominent African American vying to replace Newsom, is not on the official list of candidates, according to state officials.
The Los Angeles-based nationally syndicated conservative radio talk show host and newspaper columnist, who announced his candidacy for California Governor July 12 isn’t on the list released this past weekend that California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber is expected to certify next week.
However, Ying Ma, an Elder campaign spokesperson, said she expects Elder to be on the final list of certified candidates.
“Our campaign submitted every document required by the Secretary of State and the Los Angeles County Registrar,” she said in a statement Saturday.
Elder is among 70-plus candidates who have announced that they are vying to unseat Newsom, including former Olympian Caitlyn (Bruce) Jenner, former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, former United States Congressman Doug Ose and 2018 GOP gubernatorial nominee John Cox.
Elder formally launched his campaign to Recall Newsom outside the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk office.
“I’m running for governor because the decline of California isn’t the fault of its people,” he said. . “Our government is what’s ruining the Golden State. Our schools are closed to both students and their parents. Our streets aren’t safe from rising violent crime or the disaster of rising homelessness. And the scandals of Sacramento aren’t going to stop on their own. It’s time to tell the truth. We’ve got a state to save.”
Since filing his candidacy, Elder has been using social media platforms to express his views on homelessness in California, education, and the city of Los Angeles’ mandate to wear face masks indoors, including for individuals who are fully vaccinated.
“As Gov, I will not tell, much less order, people to wear masks. I will not falsely claim that mask wearing protects kids. The reason I wore a mask when I signed the application to run is that Newsom will not allow entry into that govt building without one,” Elder posted to his Twitter account July 14.
On July 16, he followed with another tweet, “If Gavin Newsom had sense or spine he would reverse LA’s mask order, which flies against both CA and CDC rules. He has the power to free LA residents of this madness. When I’m governor, there will be NO mask mandates at state or local level in California.”
Elder, 69, was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. His father, who served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, moved to California from Georgia and opened a restaurant — Elder’s Snack Bar.
Elder’s mother, who was once a clerical worker for the U.S. Department of War (now the U.S. Department of Defense), raised three boys as a stay-at-home mom.
Elder earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Brown University in Rhode Island and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Michigan School of Law. His daily radio program, “The Larry Elder Show,” is heard every weekday in all 50 states, on more than 300 stations, according to his campaign website.
Newsom backers have blasted the recall effort as a Republican attempt to steal an election they cannot legitimately win.
“This recall is a partisan power grab – nothing more, nothing less — a cynical attempt by national Republicans to force an election, and to try to seize control in California,” said U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, former California Secretary of State and the state’s first Latino U.S. Senator. “This Republican recall effort is powered by the same forces who still refuse to accept the results of the presidential election in 2020. They are pushing voter suppression efforts in statehouse after statehouse across the country.”
